The Opening Drive 10/4: Browns Must Attack Vikings on the Ground
The Steelers attack last week should provide roadmap for Browns this week.
As the Cleveland Browns prepare to face the formidable Brian Flores-led Vikings defense, their game plan will be pivotal in rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s ability to manage the game. The promising news is that the Vikings’ run defense has shown vulnerabilities, particularly when linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel is absent, a situation that will repeat on Sunday when the teams clash in London.
In fact, when Van Ginkel plays, the Vikings rank first in the NFL in rush defense success rate; without him, they drop to 31st, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
We’ve extensively discussed the Browns’ winning formula. It’s crucial for them to minimize turnovers and execute complementary football, which would amplify their defense’s impact on the game. With Carson Wentz leading the Vikings, this becomes even more vital, given his tendency to hold onto the ball and make errors. With a weakened offensive line, the Browns’ defense should be able to apply significant pressure on Wentz, potentially leading to turnovers.
On the offensive front, the Browns can draw inspiration from the Steelers’ approach against the Vikings on the ground, especially in the absence of Van Ginkel. They can leverage Quinshon Judkins’ running abilities to advance the ball and reduce the number of dropbacks for their rookie quarterback. The Steelers’ ground game was effective against the Vikings’ defense, rushing for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries, averaging almost 4.5 yards per carry.
The Steelers had a successful run rate of approximately 57.7%, meaning more than half of their rushes were “successful.” This high success rate indicates that the Steelers were able to consistently gain significant yardage on their runs, which put pressure on the Vikings’ defense and allowed the Steelers to control the pace of the game. Kenneth Gainwell rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries, and Pittsburgh converted 11 of their 19 first downs running the football, scoring two of their three touchdowns on the ground as well.
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The Steelers had a successful run rate of approximately 57.7%, meaning more than half of their rushes were “successful.” Kenneth Gainwell rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries, and Pittsburgh converted 11 of their 19 first downs running the football, scoring two of their three touchdowns on the ground as well.
Pittsburgh deployed a super-heavy package to attack Minnesota, leaning heavily on tight ends and extra blockers. Darnell Washington played almost every offensive snap (48 of 53) as one of the tight ends in their “jumbo” sets. They also inserted offensive tackle Spencer Anderson as an extra lineman to create blocking matchups conducive to their plan, especially at the point of attack.
Along with their heavy personnel up front, the Steelers mixed up the sequencing in their run game. Often, they would run inside between the tackles and then attack the edges of the Vikings’ defense with outside runs. This ability to threaten the edges with stretch plays forced the Vikings to maintain discipline among their edge players, which slowed down their pass rush during play-action and created opportunities for well-timed inside runs.
Their discipline in trying to win the line of scrimmage early in the game allowed them to exploit the Vikings’ interior defensive front before Minnesota could load up or apply different run blitzes.
Two examples stood out in this game. Early in the third quarter, Pittsburgh started a drive with a short pass to tight end Darnell Washington for 8 yards. On second down, Gainwell ran for 7 yards on an outside run off the left end. This stretch run pressed the edge of Minnesota’s defense. They followed that with a six-yard run inside, capitalizing on the inside/outside sequencing.
At this point, Pittsburgh brought in Anderson, loading up with heavy personnel, and ran off the left tackle for 10 yards. Once in the red zone, they stayed in a heavy personnel package on second-and-four from Minnesota’s 14-yard line. Gainwell attacked the left side this time and got into the end zone.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Steelers employed the same strategy to get the run game going. On first down, they ran Gainwell off the right end for 15 yards, again testing the perimeter of the defense. Then they threw the ball for a gain of six out of a heavy formation, keeping the Vikings on their heels. On first and ten from the 50-yard line, they executed an inside run up the middle for three yards, followed by another for two yards on the next play. On third and one from the Minnesota 41-yard line, with an extra tackle, Anderson, in the game, they ran Gainwell off the right guard for 15 yards deep into Minnesota territory.
Pittsburgh effectively utilized both inside and outside runs, threatening both defensive ends and forcing them to stay committed to stopping the run. Their use of heavy personnel, including an extra tackle and tight end, countered the Vikings’ five-man fronts, allowing them to gain tough yards when needed while slowing Minnesota’s pressure and creating opportunities for play-action. They pressed the defense with stretch runs early and moved inside when they had them staying home on the perimeter.
The Browns have been known to deploy heavy personnel with an extra lineman in the past, and with Van Ginkel not playing and their rookie quarterback making his first start, it might be a good week to go big and lean on the run with Judkins and company. It’s essential to remember that the Steelers’ directional sequencing of their run game was key to effectively neutralizing the Vikings’ defense.
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